Two Resurrections in John 5:25-29

At the present time, the Son of God gives life to the dead spiritually (John 5:25). At a future time, the Son of God will raise all the dead from their tombs unto the final judgment (John 5:28-29).

"[25] Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. [26] For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. [27] And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. [28] Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice [29] and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment." (John 5:25–29)

This dual resurrection is also, I believe, referred to in Revelation 20. There John writes of the spiritual “first resurrection,” which spares one from the “second death” following the second resurrection, which is a physical resurrection.

In this age, Jesus speaks through the ministry of the word and in this way effectually calls sinners to faith and salvation, reviving the dead. He makes this voice effectual through his Spirit. This is a spiritual, inner resurrection. You should attend to the words of Jesus, the Son of God, who is preaching his word through Scripture and through faithful preaching. He calls sinners to receive life through faith in him. The Father has provided salvation in the Son. As Jesus said, 

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." (John 5:24) 

Jesus quickens and justifies sinners. The life he gives is spiritual and eternal. He makes a person a new creation, causing one to live to God. He reunites the sinner with God, the source of true life. The believer's justification is immediate and final. The believer does not come into judgment, now or later. He is not condemned, but forgiven and accepted as righteous. The believer has passed from death to life.

There is a coming hour, not yet here, when the voice of the Son of God will raise the dead. This is a bodily resurrection - “all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out.” It involves coming out of tombs and it applies to both the saved and the condemned. They shall all rise together, for the Son will execute judgment at that time. The Son of God, as the messianic Son of Man, has been given authority to execute judgment (John 5:27). He will distinguish two groups and he will bless the one and condemn the other.

Those who have done good will be raised to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil will be raised to the resurrection of judgment. John 5:24 makes it clear that the basis for the resurrection of life is a person's believing reception of Christ, but John 5:29 makes it clear that the two groups will be distinguished from one another by their works. Those who are spiritually dead will not bear fruit, but those who receive life from Christ will be eager and able to bear much fruit (John 15:1-8). 

The Resurrection of the Body: Christ's and Ours

“For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22)

The curse for sin was death (Gen. 2:17). Death and corruption is not natural. Man was not made to die. God created man as a unity of body and soul. His body was just as much him as his soul. Death was the curse threatened for breaking God’s covenant. Death came upon Adam and his race as a curse for sin. Mankind was condemned to death. This included more than physical death, but not less. The earth’s bondage to corruption was imposed as a curse (Rom. 8:20-21), and man was sentenced to return to the dust: “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19).

Jesus took on human nature, body and soul, to redeem us from this curse. The sins of his people were pinned on Jesus and he was cursed for them, partaking of their flesh and blood so that he might receive this condemnation and penalty. If Christ’s body was not raised, then the curse was not lifted and you are still in your sins.

But his bodily resurrection showed that the debt had been paid and the curse lifted. The resurrection was Christ’s justification, his declaration of righteousness from his Father. The power of death was broken. The pangs of death had been loosed. The keys to death and Hades had been obtained. The devil had been bound and his head crushed. And Jesus won this victory not only for himself, but for all his people. Just as Adam’s race fell in him, so the brethren of Christ were raised with him to justification, new life, and the hope of resurrection.

There is no condemnation upon Christ and his people, but rather justification, and therefore, resurrection. Because the sting and power of death, sin and condemnation, has been taken away, death will not be able to hold the believe when Christ calls him. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, the saints are justified as they receive Christ by faith and their moral bodies shall be raised immortal at Christ’s coming.

Even as death and corruption came through Adam, so resurrection and incorruptibility come through Christ. By a man came condemnation and death, so by a man comes justification and the resurrection of the dead.

“But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:23)

If you belong to Christ, you are justified now in him and you have been spiritually raised with Christ as a new creation to walk in newness of life (Rom. 4:23-25, 6:1-11). But the life Paul is speaking of in 1 Corinthians 15:21-23 is that of the future physical resurrection. You will be physically raised from the dead at his coming, as he was raised from the dead on the third day. The Greek word for his "coming" is parousia, his arrival, his glorious bodily return to judge the world. There are two Greek words for “coming.” The Greek word erchomai often refers to Christ’s exaltation, e.g. his ascension and his reign at the Father's right hand. The Greek word parousia, when referring to Christ, always refers to his bodily coming at the end of this present age.

As Christ's body ascended from earth into heaven, so he shall physically return to earth in the same manner (Acts 1:11). At that time, he shall raise the dead, judge all people, renovate the whole creation, and make those who belong to him perfectly blessed in the new heaven and new earth where righteousness dwells and death and pain and sorrow are no more. Death will be the last enemy to be destroyed (1 Cor. 15:26). He is conquering and reigning and extending his kingdom now, but his return shall be the great and final triumph. Then, the effect of his own resurrection from the dead shall come to its fullest expression. In his resurrection, we see the beginning of the end of this age, the beginning of the age to come.

Christ saves you, body and soul. He took on a whole human nature, and he gave himself by it to judgment for our sins and he raised himself up by it for our justification and the release of our whole nature from sin and death. With that same body he rose to heaven and sits in glory.

God does not aim at the replacement of the body or your release from the body but the salvation of the body, its conversion and resurrection. It was an instrument of sin. It ought to be now an instrument of righteousness. The Christian's body is a member of Christ and is destined for immortality. As Paul had written earlier in his epistle: 

“The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? ... You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:13-15, 19–20)

Christ's Return, the Resurrection, and Final Judgment

At the end of the age, Christ will physically return to earth, he will raise the dead from their tombs, and he will judge all mankind. These doctrines are basic doctrines of the Christian faith (Heb. 6:1-2, 1 Thess. 1:9-10). The truth, physicality, and future historicity of these things is clearly taught in Scripture.

In 1 Corinthians 15, it is “this mortal body” that will put on immortality (15:53). It is the body that is raised from the dead. While the body will be changed, it will still be a body. Our resurrection will be the same kind as Christ’s, which was bodily such that the tomb was empty (1 Cor. 15:20-23).

Paul binds Christ’s and our resurrection together such that the denial of one is the denial of the other (1 Cor. 15:12-16). And he teaches that this resurrection of the dead takes place at Christ's coming at the end, when death is destroyed - and death will be the last enemy to be destroyed (1 Cor. 15:23-26).

In John 5, Jesus speaks of a spiritual resurrection unto life (regeneration) that "is now here" (John 5:25), but then he goes on to speak of a future resurrection of the body. "Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment" (John 5:28–29).

Although none of us know the day, we are told that God "has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed" (Acts 17:31), that is, by Christ. This day of judgment shall be a good day for those who have believed in him, for they shall be openly acknowledge and acquitted and blessed with their eternal inheritance.

And as Christ's body ascended from earth into heaven, so he shall physically return to earth in the same manner (Acts 1:11).

Those who deny these teachings and teach others to do so are dealt with in Scripture as false teachers (1 Cor. 15:33-34, 2 Tim. 2:16-18, 2 Peter 3:1-7). But for ourselves, these truths are matters of faith and hope and eager expectation, regardless of how long it will be until that great day:

"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself." (Phil. 3:20–21)

"And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved." (Rom. 8:23–24)

"...to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ..." (Titus 2:12–13)

"...what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God ... But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." (2 Peter 3:11-13)

"For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first ... Therefore encourage one another with these words." (1 Thess. 4:16–18)

And so we confess in the words of the Nicene Creed, "...and He shall come again with glory, to judge both the living and the dead ... and we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen."

Why Did Jesus Die and Rise?

Why did Jesus die and rise? The Bible says a lot about the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection, but here I give a short answer taken from Paul's epistle to the Romans (specifically, from Romans 4:20-5:1, 6:1-14, 8:8-25).

Why Is Christ's Resurrection Important?

Jesus suffered and died to atone for the sins of his people. His sacrifice of himself was perfect and sufficient. What then could his resurrection add to this? Why do we gather for worship on the day of resurrection, rather than the day of his death? Why is the resurrection important?

The more you read the New Testament, and the more you look for references to the resurrection, you will notice that the apostles thought it was very important. You could look at the resurrection narratives in the four Gospels. You could look at the apostolic preaching in the book of Acts which strongly emphasized the resurrection. You could look at 1 Corinthians 15 where Paul reminds his readers of the vital importance of the resurrection as part of the gospel. But here I want to direct your attention to the book of Romans. Paul's epistle to the Romans gives at least four reasons why the resurrection is important.

1. Jesus Was Raised to Be Exalted

"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God ... concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord..." (Romans 1:1, 3–4)

The resurrection confirmed Christ's claims and exalted him as Lord and Savior. First, this refers to the fact that His identity and claims were vindicated. His identity was central to His message. He had claimed to be the awaited Messiah, the Son of God, the Son of man who was prophesied in Daniel 7 who would save his people and judge the world (Mark 14:61-64). He had prophesied at least three times that he would be raised from the dead on the third day (Matt. 16:21, 17:23, 20:19), and even His enemies remembered this claim (Matt. 27:63). His resurrection was a divine vindication of His claims.

But it went beyond this. Every other time the Greek word in Romans for "declared" is used in the New Testament, it means to "appoint" or "fix," not merely to declare what already is the case. Romans 1:3-4 teaches that it was God's Son who was descended from David (thus he did not become the Son of God at His resurrection), but it does teach that he became the Son-of-God-in-power by his resurrection. He was no longer humiliated and weak, suffering for sin. It was at his resurrection that he was "given all authority in heaven and on earth" to apply the salvation he had purchased and to rule and defend his kingdom (Matt. 28:18-29, Acts 2:36, Psalm 2:7-8). He was always sovereign as God, but now he was sovereign also as Savior for the purpose of redemption.

The proper response to the Son-of-God-in-power is the "obedience of faith" (Romans 1:5). The response of those who met the risen Lord was to worship him and confess His true identity (Matt. 28:9, 17; John 20:28). It was also to go boldly and to make the nations His disciples (Matt. 28:18-20, Rom. 1:5).

2. Jesus Was Raised for Our Justification

"It will be counted [as righteousness] to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." (Romans 4:24–25)

Justification is the opposite of condemnation (Rom. 8:33-34). It is a declaration that one is righteous, rather than a declaration that one is guilty and deserving of judgment.

The resurrection was the justification of Jesus - the declaration that he was righteous, that our sins which had been imputed to him were paid for. That weight was off of Jesus’ back. Death no longer had a legitimate claim on him. The atoning work of Christ’s death, because it was complete, led to His resurrection. By suffering and dying, Jesus was paying our debt, and in the resurrection God said “paid in full, you are free to go.”

This righteous sentence is imputed to believers. This righteousness is yours in Christ. He was “raised for our justification.” His justification becomes your justification when you are connected to Christ by faith.

Imagine if a man was raised to the rank of nobleman because of His brave deeds. Then later, this nobleman married a commoner, making her a noblewoman. The resurrection is like that initial declaration about the man's status. Jesus received His status as righteous and free of the claims of condemnation and death. Then, our justification happens when we are united to Him, just as in our analogy the woman began to share her husband's status when she married him.

And so, the suffering of Jesus (the atonement) is the basis for His resurrection, and the resurrection of Jesus is the basis for our justification.

This passage from Romans tells us that those will be counted as righteous who believe in God and His provision of salvation in Christ. So receive and rest in Jesus and rejoice in the peace with God that it brings (Rom. 5:1).

3. Jesus Was Raised for Our Sanctification

"We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his ... So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness." (Romans 6:4–5, 11–13)

The fact that we are pardoned and accepted as righteous in God's sight does not mean that our actions can go on unchanged. This is not because our works contribute to our status before God. Rather, this is because the only way to be justified is by being connected to Christ by faith, and being connected to Christ also changes us. If you are united to Christ, you have died with him and risen again as a new creation. Christ was raised so that you too might walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4). You have been raised with Christ, ransomed and regenerated, born again to a new life by His resurrection (1 Peter 1:3).

But even though you have died and risen to new life, you still have the duty to act accordingly. You have been given the ability to live differently by Christ's resurrection, but old desires and habits die hard. This passage tells you to consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (6:11). Let not sin reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions (6:12). Present your body parts as instruments for righteousness (6:13), rather than instruments of unrighteousness. Rather than a body of sin (6:6), your body is transformed by Christ’s resurrection to be a body of righteousness (compare with Rom. 12:1).

4. Jesus Was Raised for Our Glorification

"If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you." (Romans 8:11)

The final result of Christ’s resurrection is your glorification at his second coming. If you have been united to Christ by the Spirit, then your body shall be raised just as his body was raised. If you have been justified, you shall also be raised, acquitted, and blessed. Just as death had to let Christ go, so it will need to let you go at Christ’s command. Even though we have the tremendous comfort knowing that after we die we will be with Christ (Phil. 1:21-24, 2 Cor. 5:8), this disembodied state is temporary. Death shall not have the final word for us. It shall be the last enemy standing, but it too shall be overcome (1 Cor. 15:20-26).

Your mortal body, the one you have now, shall be raised to life and glory by the Father, through the Spirit, because of Christ’s resurrection. Your bodies shall be like Christ's body - physical, tangible, in continuity with our bodies before death (Luke 24:38-43). We shall not be ghosts. Like him too, your body shall be glorified, made free from weakness and morality. Your body will not be replaced, but it will be changed in a glorious and miraculous manner (1 Cor. 15:51-52).

And so we and all creation groans as we await the consummation of God’s redemptive work (Rom. 8:22-23). Things are not finished. But this is a groaning of exception and hope. Because Jesus was raised, believers can have a confident expectation of the coming glory, the redemption of their bodies and the renewal of creation.

Conclusion

Jesus is risen, and He is exalted on high! Behold your God and Lord, your prophet, priest, and king.
Jesus is risen, and you are justified! Behold in His resurrection the declaration of righteousness which is yours in Jesus Christ.
Jesus is risen, and you are given new life! Behold in His resurrection your new birth, a new beginning which is yours in Jesus Christ.
Jesus is risen, and you are promised future glory! Behold in His resurrection the assurance of your future resurrection, the redemption of your body, which is yours in Jesus Christ.

Humbly worship Jesus, your risen Lord!
Receive and rest in Jesus, your risen Savior!
Live in righteousness as those who have been raised with Jesus, your risen Head!
Groan with expectation and take heart, looking to Jesus - His body was raised and so shall yours!

“…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)